Field Trips: Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post

Field Trips: Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post

Learn about the journey of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe— from their settlement in Minnesota 300 years ago to their culture, tradition, and lives today. Stop in at the 1930s trading post to shop for handcrafted Native American goods.

Core experience

Program designed for grades 3-6, but adaptable to students of all ages.  
All field trips include a tour of the Four Seasons Room, exhibit scavenger hunt, and interactive lessons on Native American games, sports, and communication.

Cycles of the Seasons

Tour the Four Seasons Room, with life-sized dioramas depicting traditional Ojibwe life and activities. Students learn about making maple sugar, harvesting bark, processing wild rice, and hunting and fishing that sustain Ojibwe people.

Exhibit Scavenger Hunt

Students explore our exhibits to find items from the museum collections on display. Scavenger hunts are age appropriate, from photo finds for younger students to quizzes for high-schoolers.

Native American Games and Sports

Play Native American games of skill and chance including the bowl game, snake game, deer and hunter, lacrosse, and the run and scream game.

Native American Communication

Interactive lesson that teaches students about a variety of communication methods including Native American sign language, as well as simple Ojibwe words and phrases.

Already booked?

Here is all you’ll need to know to Prepare for Your Field Trip!

Request a field trip

Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post

43411 Oodena Drive
Onamia, MN 56359

651-259-3400
fieldtrips@mnhs.org

Available Year Round
Monday - Friday
Length of Program: 2 hours 15 min

Cost

  • $8 per student
  • +$2 per lesson per student
  • +$5 per craft project per student
  • $80 minimum group fee
  • District staff FREE
  • One free adult per ten students. Additional chaperones invoiced at student rate.

Admission costs are for anyone age 4 and over.

Memberships and 6th grade passes are not valid on field trip days.

Enhance your field trip

Add fun and focus to your museum visit with an additional lesson or craft project.

Museum lessons

  • Add $2 per person
  • Maximum 30 students per lesson
  • All lessons are 50 minutes

Craft projects

Create a special souvenir to take home while learning about Native American art. 

  • Add $5 per person
  • All craft projects are 50 minutes

Shopping

The historic Trading Post is available for students to shop & purchase handmade Native American items. When booking your experience, add 30 minutes to your experience to allow time for shopping.

Lunch

Lunch space is available on the floor in the craft area of the museum or outside at the picnic tables (weather permitting). Add 30 minutes to your experience for lunch or combine it with shopping time./p>

Reach out to fieldtrips@mnhs.org if you’d like to add lessons, crafts, shopping or lunch to your visit schedule.

Academic standards

All programs support state of Minnesota academic standards in social studies.

Summer programming

Available Weekdays, June through August. 

Continue the fun! Visit the Mille Lacs Indian Museum in the summer months with your group!

Scholarships

See if you’re eligible for scholarships or discounts, and apply on our Scholarships and Subsidies Page.

Billing and cancellation

No payment will be accepted the day of the field trip. All schools will be invoiced after their trip based on the projected attendance numbers provided by the lead contact 14 days prior to the scheduled visit. To avoid fees, cancellations must be received 14 days before your trip.

For more information see our Program Policies.

Questions?

Please contact our staff at fieldtrips@mnhs.org or schedule an appointment. All booking requests must be submitted through our Request Form.